You'd Think We'd Know Better by David Robert Brooks

The summers are hot in Chicago;
no matter we're by the lake...
In the evening cool breezes blow,
in the daytime it gets hot as hell.
Living on the southwest side
is nothing short of miraculous,
the houses are shoved together,
the street is a damn parking lot.
We used to play softball on the corner
at night until a quarter to ten,
but we had to quit as the old folks had to be in bed by then.
We lived only three blocks from the police station,
but it really wasn't that bad...
We all knew when they'd be coming,
it really wasn't that bad.

This summer has been hotter than ever,
the little kids and Mom's have it the worst,
what with high energy prices,
the TV’s and ac stay off...
For entertainment you have a few choices,
go hang out at the park ,
ride a bicycle if you have one,
or hang out on your street.
The politicians really don't understand summer,
seems they have forgotten
what it was like when they were kids.
We're always left to our own devices to stir up a little fun.

Today was a particularly boring day,
must ï¿Â¿Ã±a been a hundred and ten,
least wise Missy my little sister, said "that's what Momma said"...
I told Joey to get his father’s spare tire from out of the old garage,
and I told Lilly and Frankie to get the see-saw board
out from under their old front porch.
Me I was on a mission, I slipped into the old man's garage
and with Missy's help dragged his huge plumber's wrench out into the front yard.

There was the object of our affections,
a rusty piece of red pipe, with screw-on covers,
a hydrant they call it...
So Joey got the covers off while Missy and Lilly stood between
parked cars, looking in both directions,
for the men in the little blue cars.
We lived only three blocks from the police station,
but it really wasn't that bad...
We all knew when they'd be coming,
it really wasn't that bad.

Well Joey and Frankie and I got the tire on it,
you know it's gott’a fit just right,
14'' tires do the trick,
if they are not on a metal rim.
The broken half of the see-saw was in place
and with a whistle and a shout
Missy and Lilly came running.
They knew what this was all about .
We lifted the wrench, it was steel,
red with rust showing through,
and I remembered which way we should turn it,
and placed it tight on the top nut.

Missy and Lilly pushed and Frankie, Joey and I pulled...
A team of kids so magnificent in desire,
the hydrant never stood a chance...
As the water so slowly departed the pipe,
and arced up the see-saw board,
I saw the curtain on Mrs. McGintey's house lift up and drop back down.
Joey and Missy were dancing in the water
and Lilly was keeping lookout,
and I was kind'a worried
when Mrs. McGintey stepped out...

"Goddamit David what'cha up to now?!
You know much better than this!"
You should have done this sooner she said,
and she came over
and planted a kiss
on my dumbstruck forehead.
Ya could 'a knocked me over with a leaf,
and she said the neighborhood needed
more young'ins like me to give the children
and old ladies some relief...

Mrs. Morgan called her son William and they got his broken down wreck,
and with the hood up, left it at the end in the center of the street.
This effectively stopped all traffic
as we were a one-way street.
Then William and his buddies came up with some beers
and they even gave me one.

Now my mother is a quiet woman,
and ours is a tough old neighborhood,
but this day even Momma came out.
Damn it sure did my young heart some good.
She and Missy and Lilly were dancing now,
like leprechauns in the fountain in the street,
with Mrs. McGintey in lawn chair and umbrella,

Joey and I may become legends someday;
we might even let Frankie step in too…
The whole neighborhood turned out that day
before the
summer fun would end.
The pretty older girls showed up with the boys
and even the dogs turned out for a chance to dance,
in the streets of Chicago at our middle street fountain get out!
in bathing suit out in the street.

When the police car finally arrived,
Mrs. McGintey met it in force,
in bathing suit, straw hat and umbrella
she was short and fat, naw stout maybe...
"Well Officer O’Connell good day to you, don't you think ?"
and he said "why Mrs. McGintey,
Doris, you're a beauty so to speak!"
Blushing she said "now Billy why don't ya come on in for a swim?"
He said "Sorry Doris, I can't let my revolver get wet."
"Well Billy O’Connell mighty nice you showed for my party,
as you can see it's under control,
and you can tell the Alderman, we all pay for this water,
he ain't got to worry so..."
"Doris in any other neighborhood,
you know there'd be a ticket and a fine,
but well here it's a little different,
and my golly Doris, you really look fine."
"Well I go back to the station,
now see 'in I've checked it out,
the disturbance was Mrs. McGintey,
nothing to worry about."

So he backed down the street to the corner
and was gone in a turn and a splash
and we've had a damn good summer;
even Momma has danced in the streets.

When it was all over there was just Joey and Frankie and me
to collect the wrench and the tire and board
and put them back safely in their places.
Three blocks from the police station;
you’d think we'd know better…
That weekend when Daddy came home there wasn't even a word,
he just slapped me on the back and said "good job kid".
I wonder if he'd heard...
'lil Davey Highpockets



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